Building of nonpermanent bridges chiefly for military purposes by means of amphibianseaplanes



C. A. M. E. ODOT Dec. 25, 1951 2,579 T BRIDGES CHIEFLY FOR MILITARY BUILDING OF NONPERMANEN PURPOSES BY MEANS OF AMPHIBIAN SEAPLANES Filed June 27, 1946 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 h. au.

Dec. 25, 1951 A, M, E, QDOT 2,579,605

\LYBUILDING OF NONPERMANENT BRIDGES CHIEFLY FOR MILITARY PURPOSES BY MEANS OF AMPHIBIAN- SEAPLANES Filed June 27, 1946 A 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 25, 1951 c. A. M. E. oDoT 2,579,605 BUILDING OF NONPERMANENT BRIDGES CHIEF'LY FOR MILITARY Y PURPOSES BY MEANS OF' AMPHIBIAN SEAPLANES Filed June 27', 1946 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 MPHIBIAN SEAPLANES T BRIDGES CHIEFLY FOR MILITA cQA. M. E. oDoT MANEN PURPOSES BY MEANS OF A Dec. 25, 1951 BUILDING OF NONPER FiledJun'e 27', 1946 Q On nno \O\OO OO Og DeC. 2 5, 1951 C A M E ODOT l579,605

BUILDING 0F NONPERMNET RIJGES CHIEFLY FOR MILIT PURPOSES BY MEANS OF AMPI-IIBIAN SEAPLANES Filed June 27, 1946 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 y any,

Dec. 25, 1951 Filed June 27, 1946 A. M. E. ODOT BUILDING OF' NONPERMANENT BRIDGES CHIEFLY FOR MILITARY PURPOSES BY MEANS OF AMPHIBIAN SEAPLANES 8 Sheets-She@ 6 /Tqve/v for Yl V6/0:

Dec. 25, 1951 c. A. M. E. oDoT 2,579,605

BUILDING OF NONPERMANENT BRIDGES CHIEFLY FOR MILITARY PURPOSES BY MEANS oF AMPHIBIAN SEAPLANES Filed June 27. 1946 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 Igel. E922.

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Dec. 25, 1951 c. A. M. E. oDoT 2,579,605

BUILDING OF NONPERMANENT BRIDGES CHIEFLY FOR MILITARY PURPOSES By MEANS oF AMPHIBIAN sEAPLANEs Filed June 2v, 194e e sheets-sheet s CCAVJQY M E 00427L Patented Dec. 25, 1951 BUILDING F NONPERMANENT BRIDGES CHIEFLY FOR MILITARY PURPOSES BY MEANS 0F AMPHIBIAN sEArLANEs Charles Alexis Marie Eugne Odot, Hussein-Dey, Algeria Application June 27, 1946, Serial No'. 679,654

In France December 20, 1944 section 1, Public Law 69o, August s, 194s Patent expires December 20, 1964 1o claims. (o1. 244-4) 1 My 4invention has for its chief object Ithe arrangement of airplanes, seaplanes, gliders and the like lwith a view to their use in the building of non-permanent bridges for the crossing of rivers, Streams and the like stretches of waters by convoys.

Although chiefly intended for wartime requirements, my invention may be used in peace time for restoring interrupted communications from one side of a river to the other.

D Said invention has for its object the hastening of the positioning of the crossing means, with the removal of the necessity of road transportation which is always long, costly and dangerous while obtaining the surprise cifect necessary for all war operations.

It will considerably increase the speed of modern ironclad divisions and substantially improve their radius of operation.

The principal advantageous features of the arrangements provided for the airplanes, seaplanes or gliders are as follows:

(a) They are amphibian.

(b) They permit without any additional reinforcing of the floating capacity, the passage of light convoys.

-(c) Their floating capacity may be increased, through the incorporation of both light and powerful carriers such as pneumatic boats, for allowing the passage of heavy convoys.

(d) Connecting means at the ends of the wings allow their interconnection for forming a continuous rolling way or track over a plurality of seaplanes secured togetherendwise and connected to the banks by means of stationary or semi movable trusses, thus forming the bridge considered as a whole.

(e) The wings of the aircrafts are specially designed so that vthey may resist the aerodynamic stresses during flight and also the stresses due to rolling loads when the aircrafts are used in the constitution of a bridge. The passage of the convoys is permitted lengthwise over such wings which form a part of the usual trusses of a bridge.

(f) A horizontal rolling surface and a`sulcient breadth of way are obtained through special means such as an opening pneumatic wing the tail end of which may be inflated to a variable extent or tubes receding in ilight and adapted to carry a flooring. Y

I have shownby way of example in accompanying drawings a form of execution of my inventionallowing its characteristics features to appear clearly without it being necessary to enter with further detail into the manner of using same. In said-drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general elevational view of a bridge constituted by two seaplanes and including various types of seaplanes.

Fig. 2 is a plan View corresponding to Fig. 1 wherein one part of the seaplane is shown as ready for flight and another with its wing open and the flooring removed, a third part being shown with the flooring in place.

Fig. 3 is a view of the seaplane on a supporting member in vertical cross-sectional through line IIIl-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a Sidevew of the aircraft ready to fly.

Fig. 5 is a cross section through line V-V of Fig. 1 of one of the seaplanes.

Fig. 6 is an elevational frontview of the connecting means between a seaplane and a :movable bridge truss.

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section through the broken line VII-VII of Fig. 8, showing the two cockpits of a seaplane and one half of the roller bridge carried thereby.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of these cockpits together l' with one half of a supporting craft and one half of the operative platform.

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of a girder connecting a seaplane to moorings located on a high bank.

Fig. 10 shows two girders carried by a frame and connecting the seaplane with moorings located on a bank of average height.

Fig. 11 is a vertical cross-section of a wing supported by a pneumatic boat.

Fig. 12 is a corresponding plan view showing only one half of the boat.

Fig. 13 shows the connection between a girder and the end ofv a wing which latter is seen in vertical cross-section.

Fig. 14 is a half elevational, half cross-sectional view of the connection between two wing ends in alignment with predetermined girders.

Fig. 15 is a vertical cross-section of the two cooperating ends of adjacent wings in vertical alignment with another girder.

Fig. 16 is an end view partially cross-sectional corresponding to Fig. 15.

Figs. 17 and 18 are similar to the preceding figures, and correspond to a further girder.

Fig. 19 is a vertical cross-section executed through the axis of one of the girders and shows the pivoting means between an abutment wing of a seaplane and its hydraulic raising means.

Fig. 20 is a side view of a glider forming part of a bridge.

Fig. 21 is a half plan view of an aircraft ready for flight.

Fig. 22 is a half plan view of the same aircraft forming partiof a bridge.

Fig. 23 is a half elevational View of a further flying machine.

Fig. 24 is a half longitudinal elevational view ofiA Fig. 27 is a half view throughV the. frontof thel same recess body.

Fig. 28 is a transverse elevatonof the endportion of a recess body.

Figs. 29 and 30 are cross-sections ofthe wings showing diagrammatically different' arrangements of the cross beams and roller ways.

Fig. 31. is anelevational view ora securing hook.

Fig. 32 is a cross section.. ofthe.. hinge oi.` the opening wing onthe side. corresponding to.n its trailing edge.v

My invention allows providingv for, the passage of loadsup to 50 tons anditis even probable .that this-estimation may bewidelyincreased in .further develop-ments.. The size of` the kapparatus will dependupon the type of convoys. which. are. to cross over the projected bridge,

The seaplanesor gliders lused-rnav befprovided with oneor inorecockpits.Y Recessesare provided for retractable landing Wheelsl (Eig. 4). The landing gear may also be cast oii'. Sea-faring propellers arealso. provided... In addition tothe coclrpits, pneumatic crafts .2. (Figs. l. 3, 11 and 14s) ensure the floatingcapacity'otthe system. Each craft carries aweight distributing iiooring Vincluding boards 3 (Figs. 11, 12 and 14) joined together and covered withsheetmetalat, 4f. Two-I beams (Figs. 11 and 12) or trellis girders of lesser weight. serve for the distributienet the stresses over said flooring. When gliders; are used. pneumaticioats H. (Flgs..22andi24). are folded inside the recesses or chambersA l2 (Fig. 23) arranged underneath the wings. Theirginating,valvesare connected to a pipe. feedingV compressed. air

thereto. Assoonas the. pressure .is sufficient, the casings forming the recesses open automatically andthe floatsnd their proper place underneath the wingsas showninFigs. 22..and,.24. Y

The bodyv of each .or these. recess-forming cas.- ings I3 (Fig. 28) may be made. of wood. or metal blades and once open vsaid. recess casing. bears against thelower suraceof..A the wing along a plane. cnted soas to. holdtherecessrforming body. described' hereinabove, -closedduring Hight. Y

The sending of compressed airintathefeed pipe Y. causes vthe ends of the..recess bodiesto slide Vover the slidewaysV I 4 (Egs.,26. Z'Tand 28). prepared to Vthis end andas thebladesare. released through their ends the recess will then be open. A return spring (Fig..28)` returns each end into its original position as soon asthe pressure `s...remov.ed.

The wings. of theseapl'anes bearon the boats through the agency of supportsconstitutedlby of sheet iron; the upper endoi. each of these posts may be connected through a pin 1 (Figs. 11, 14' and to the gi'rd'er system inside the wingso asto allow the small'post Yto recede duringflight inside a recess on the undersideoftliewing. Theheight of these small.' posts or bearing membersis variable. Their hemispherical lower ends rest inside The two streamlined ends .sholdbe exe.- Y

the recesses formed in a supportV 8 secured to the flooring of the corresponding boat (Fig. l1). The small terminal posts at the endsoi the wing may be coupled with: those ofthefadjacent.machine so as to restVV together on a single boat asshown in Fig. 14. An oval opening allows securing thereto through the agency of the pin I0 the girder forming part oi the. connecting means to be described hereinafter.

rEhe system of iioating trusses is constituted as .v shown in Figs. 2 and 11 by four girders 25, 26, 21,

.small posts 6` (Figs. 1, 10, 11,14, 1.7"and 19) made 28, arranged inside the wing of each sea-plane inthe longitudinal direction thereof, said girders serving; also as-,Spars for the central compartment.

Thesebeams are interconnected through `stays 29 carrying the iiooring 35i made of striated sheet metal; The height of each'girder is dened through itslocation in the transversal outline of thewing. The upper limb of each girder matches the shape of this outline while the lower limbs include recessesinsidewhich the.` supports. or posts 6.' are. retractedlduring iiightasshown in'. Figs. 1.4fto18'. f Y

In. order. to allow. the. passage. ofV rolling.. loads. over.. the ilocringil),` the wing opens. through its upper part as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and.1.1., TheA hinge. 3l connected with the. edge. ofthe girder 21 is vdesigned in amanner suchthat itdoesnot project above theflooringl 32).

When the wing is hinged openas Vshevvnin dottedlinesin Fig. 32,. the pvotingplatea is Y foldedtowardsthe trailing edge andrestson Studsv of the hinge. 3l inorder. to Vdirect the streamlets` of air above saidprojecting part.

The. use of sx1-calledv shell. wings maycalse'be contemplated.. y Y

The number vof compartments to beexecuted will depend on the naturel of the convoys which areto pass over thebridge.

For` the. constitutionof stationary'trusses. the

l male. ends: of thebanli girdersfenterxthe recesses lizat theends. of the-wings; and bear aganstrthe supporting trunnionsi (Fig. li.r In the case of stationary trusses-anale end will be. associated with a female end for each supporting shoe.

'Ihe floating trusses form generally the: major part of thev bridge; thel 'molines-leadingto the bridge are generally constituted by stationary trusses. Semimovable trusses connect..the.cat

'mg trusses withthe stations-ri7 trusses-(Fig. 1Q) orrwithrthemoorings; Fig, 9)..

The bearing arrangement atuthe junction .of two wings is illustrated in Fig.Y 14 and ncludesasta.- tionary girder i2 connectedv with Athe. small posts 6 at theend of. the. cooperating .wings through vthe pins IG; the latter passing through the oval openings` in the posts arev giventheplay necessary which allows the. wings .to assumev a. slightislope with reference to one anotherwhileremaining in'contact or ata distance.correspending-.tov a small. play between them; this. girdervv 42 iscon.- nected throughthe rods. 431to...a..pivotedgirder 44 held spaced .with reierenceto, the .former girder by a spring surrounding the rods-"43 which latter may slide inside a recess 46 inside the pivoted beam 44. Two other springs 41 are arranged round the rods 48 which limit their expansion; said springs may be removed in order to allow the introduction and positioning of the terminal posts 6 of the wings and said springs are reinserted as soon assaid operation' is at an ind; Studs and securing screws 49 hold them Between the two cockpits of each seaplane (Figs. '7 and 8) is provided a platform allowing the assembly and the inflation in an easy manner of the pneumatic boats before they are launched.' Said platform is constituted by a ilooring 50 of light sheet iron which may be removedso` as to allow the taking off of the `aircraft and by I beams 5| connecting the two cockpits and hold-Y ing them at the desired spacing. A controlling motor-driven launch may be secured rigidly to said cross-beams and be carried oil? by the sea plane;

it is used for anchoring and positioning l the pneumatic boats in thebuilding of the bridge.

In the case where seaplanes are used with a treble cockpit, it is possible to provide two platforms so as to make operation easier.

Two systems of rails 53 and 54 arranged in mechanically driven Winches arranged inside the Wings. The pivoting plates may be subdivided longitudinally into as many panels as may be necessary for making their operation easier.

A loading mast of light trellis work (Fig. 6) may also be arranged on the top of the wing so as to supplement the winches if required.

Fig. 31 4illustrates the hooks 51 connected through a left and right handed screw 58 which allows moving them near one another afterl they have engaged the trunnions 59 located at'the ends of adjacent wings so as to adjust the distance between the latter (Fig. 14). i 1 For adjusting the slope of a movable wing (Fig. 19), it is possible to use a hydraulic press 6| or a screw winch connected through a rigid rod B3 to a pivot 64 secured to the underside of the girder 25.

Without widening the scope of the invention, it is possible to make use of bi-plane seaplanes capable of carrying heavy loads and of landing at a slow speed or alighting on restricted stretches of water. In this case, it is possible to include the limbs of a trellised glider in each plane of the seaplane, and to design the bracing so as to cause the uprights and diagonal members of said girder to form part of the bracing.

The use of gliders (Fig. 20 and following figures)f vreduces the cost price, the dead weight and the resistance to the impact of wind, which are detrimental for a correct anchoring. Said gliders may take off from a normal aviation landing ground through the agency of a'set of wheels 31 (Fig. 25) which may be retracted or cast off; they may alight through the agency of their cockpit, watertight wings and oat system 38 (Figs. 20, 21, 22 and 23) of aspecial. design anda-lso `land on flat unprepared ground through the agency of shoes (Ma-54h (Figs. 20 and 25).

Each glider is provided with a removable tail 85 (Figs. 20, 21, 22 and 25) adapted toibe. easily dismantled andset aside as soon as it is laid over water. Part 66 of the body or cockpitis also designed so as to allow its easy removal whereby the passage required for the rolling load is set free.` It will be noted that the upper part of the body of the glider projects above its wings, and that its removable section 66 (Fig. 25) `is disposed above the ilooring or track area (see Fig. 20).

The wings may be separated from the cockpit `in order to make the folding of the bridge and the transportation on road easier after the constitutive elements have been used whereby it is possible Ato bring same to the nearest aerodrome where the aircraft may be erected again in view of a further operation.

The wings and the cockpit are watertight and may be subdivided by partitions into independent compartments. They may be submerged. A type of wing merely canvassed which is extremely light may also be contemplated. 'Ihe wings are provided at their lower surface with a series of iloats 38 (Figs. 20, 21, 22 and 23) designed so as to allow the aircraft to float with its wings above water when it is not overloaded. They also include under their lower surfaces recesses I2 with pneumatic floats (Fig. 23).

Other pneumatic oats 61 of suitable shape (Figs. 20, 29 and 30) may be inserted at the rear of the wing for increasing the floating capacity, and the stability of the system. They are merely slid underneath the armatures 68 (Figs. 20, 21, 25, 29 and 30) made of metallic tubes and adapted to be permanently secured over the wing or else lying against same during ilight. The floats are then inilated and held in place through mere friction.

For the passage of the rolling load it is possible to use the opening wing shown in Fig. 22 which provides easily a perfect platform with a track up to 3.60 meters wide, while the part remaining closed is made uidtight.

It is also possible to resort to a system of rolling tracks 10a, 10b, (Fig. 29) made of corrugated sheet metal resting partly on the upper part of the wing and partly on a system of small posts or metallic tubes 69 transmitting these stresses to the girders 'll at the rear of the wing. The rolling tracks 10a, 10b, may be carried along with the glider and positioned at the moment at which the latter is to be used for the construction of a bridge. This system which should be stronger than an opening wing may allow eventually a reduction in the width of the wing.

Fig. 30 illustrates the cross-section of a wing adapted to be used alone. adapted to resist the stresses arising from the rolling loads and those arising in night. It may be rendered fluidtight and its floating capacity will allow it to carry, in addition to its Own weight, an overload `which is proportional to its volume; it may alsocbe laid on the pneumatic boats of treadway bridges for use as a rolling track. Its lower part which is flat through construction serves as a flooring; the wing should thus be turned upside down before use. It may form the dismountable wing of a glider or the second plane of a biplane aircraft or seaplane, adapted to fly normally as a monop1ane.` It may thus be brought by air to the point of building of the bridge. Propellers may be used for moving it over water.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method for building a dismountable trans- It contains a bay portable bridgepzaicross a stretchy 01E-water consistsisting in causing flying machines with iloats to alight on said .stretch of water, assembling endwise the ends of .the wings of said machines, connectingthe-outer ends of the outermost machines thus; assembled Ato bridge elements laid on the banks .ofthewater stretch, providing pneumatic floats underneath the wings for carrying same and laying a vehicle track ony the upward surfaces o'Ifthe wings. r

y 3. Ina flying machine adapted to be used as a-pontoon in the execution of a dismountable transportable bridge, the combination of al flooring-.extending above the wings throughout the length thereof'and flaps hingedly secured to 'the front' and rear edges of the wings and adapted to be `folded above same during flight and to be unfolded to form the sides of a-track for vehicles. 4. An airplane intended to be employed as a pontoon inthe building of' a 'collapsible and transportable bridge across a watercourse for thepassage of rolling loads, the airplane-.comprising opposed and oppositely projecting wings, aY track at the exterior of the wings and extending longitudinally'thereof 'from the outer end of one Wing to. the outer endV of the other wing, the track being so constructed and arranged as 'to permit the passage of a rolling load along it above the wings, when the airplane is placed on the lwater with other planes for making a bridge, and a 'girder system iixed longitudinally to the interior of the wings and so constructed and arranged that it will not only sustain the aerodynamic stresses in the airplane in ight but will also sustain the Weight of the rolling loads passing'over the track when the airplane forms a part of a bridge. v 5. AAn airplane intended to be employed as a pontoon in the building of a collapsible and transportable bridge across a watercourse for the passage of rolling loads, the airplane comprising opposed and oppositely projecting wings, a track at the top of the wings and extending longitudinally thereof from the outer end of one wing to the outer endof the other wing, the track having a= substantially natand rigid floor surface over which a rolling load may pass above the wings when the airplane is placed on the water with other planes for making a bridgefand a girder system xed longitudinally to the interior of the Wings 'andso constructed and arranged that it will not only sustain the aerodynamic stresses in the'plane in night but will also sustain the weight of the'rolling loads passing over the track when the airplane forms a party ofafbridge.

6. A glider intended to be employed as a pon- Vtoon in the-building of'a collapsible and transportable bridge acrossv a water-course for the passage of Vrolling loads, the glider comprising opposed and oppositelyf projecting wings which are hollow and have water tight coverings to render the glider buoyant, said wings having at'and coplanar bottom surfaces, a track iiooring extending longitudinally along thefwingsfon the. vexterior of said flat bottom surfaces. from the end of one wing to the end of' the opposite wing', the track flooring being so constructed and arranged asto .permit the passage of a. rolling loadfalong it when the glider isl placed on the waterjn aninvertedposition and assembled Ywith other gliders for making a bridge, and a girder system nfixed ,longitudinally 'to the interior lof ithe wings, the girder ,system being so constructed and arrangedthat .it will Anot only sustain the aerodynamic stresses in the glider in flight but will also lsustain-the weight of the rolling loads passing over the track flooring when the glider forms a part of 1a bridge, the floating capacity of the glider being, sufficient to sustain both its weight and :that kofthe 'rolling loads passing over the track ooring..

'7'. In acollapsibleand transportable bridge for crossingafwatercourse, the bridge including .airplanes arranged the waterfwith their opposed land oppositiely projecting-wings in tip-totip relation. the. wings having `longitudinally extending tracks ;forthe passage of rolling loads over thetops ofthewings. the. combination of adjacentv wings Yof vtwo adjacent airplanesxarranged with the wing endst 4in opposed relation', a spur xed adjacent the end oi each of said wings, adouble-hook connector fitted on the two spurs, a. wingf'sustaining `iioat beneath the adjacent ends or said wings, two posts having their upper-endsV jointed near. the respectiveends oi the two wings, said posts-.being disposedin downwardly converging relation and having their lower ends jointed to veach other `and supportedaby said iioat, and aV shock-.absorber device carried bythe upper portions of the two posts and including spring-actuated, pivotally'- connected members which respectively engagethe undersides of the endportions of the two wings.

8. A glider'intended to be employed as arpontoon bridge in building'V a collapsiblewand trans# portable bridge across a watercourse for the passage of loads on wheels, the glider comprising a body with opposed wings projecting from its opposite sides, the .body having its upper portion projecting: above theA tops of the wings, said wings. being hollow Aand 4provided with watertight coverings to render the glider buoyant, aV girder system xed longitudinally inside of the wings and extending` through the. body, two flat fioorings spaced for engagement by the wheels of a road rvehicle andl supported by said girder system, said floorings extendingacross said body and longitudinally along; the upper surface of vsaid Wings from the outer end of one wing to the outer end ofthe opposite Wing, the part of the upperwardly projectingr portion of saidl body above said oorings being removablyV mounted, saidA grder systembeing so constructed and arranged as to sustain the aerodynamic stresses' of the glider in flight and to sustain the weight of they loads' on wheelspassing over said floorings when the; glider Arests on water'and is'asV sembled with other glidersffor constructing a bridge; Y

9.' Thegstruoture--ofclaim 5 in which the-wings project-in oppositel directions-from Va body and the latter'contains Vpart ofV said girder system, *means pivotally connecting` the girder system Y portion in atleast one of said wings with the girdersystem portion saidbody to permit the outer end of-,saidone Wing to be swung vertically, and operating means toadjust the angle of'fsaid onewingxin relation to, the-body and the other'Wingssoy asrtoconnect'the: said flooring to watercourse banks at different. heights above the water level;

10.; In anflyingrmachine-adapted to-be used as a pontoon in the execution of a dismountable bridge, the combination of an aircraft having a body with oppositely projecting wings having curved air-flow upper surfaces, a girder system within the wings and extending longitudinally thereof, road-vehicle track ooring within the Wings and supported by said girder system, said flooring being fiat and extending throughout the length of the wings, oppositely folding flaps disposed above said ooring during Hight and forming a part of the top surfaces of the wings, and hinged means connecting said flaps to the wings along the outer edges of the flooring to permit said flaps to be swung upwardly to expose said flooring.

CHARLES ALEXIS MARIE EUGENE oDoT.

REFERENCES CITED 'he following references are of record in the ie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,710,670 Bonney Apr. 23, 1929 1,801,202 Krummel Apr. 14, 1931 1,853,233 Schwarz Apr. 12, 1932 1,934,286 Tourchette Nov'. 7, 1933 2,010,817 Henry Aug. 13, 1935 2,131,528 Soyer Sept. 27, 1938 2,231,524 Martin Feb. 11, 1941 2,368,288 Couse Jan. 30, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 592,080 France 1925 753,866 France 1933 

